Military service in Turkey

A reader asks if he would have to do complete military service if he takes Turkish citizenship.I have received a question from Fadi about military service. He asks:Dear Sadettin Orhan, I have recently started to read your articles on HurriyetDailyNews.com, and I have found them very helpful. I live in Istanbul and I recently married a Turkish citizen. I will apply for Turkish citizenship once I am eligible (after three years). My question is: Do I have to do military service once I obtain Turkish citizenship? I am now 36 years old, and I will be 39 years old when I am eligible for Turkish citizenship. Thank you very much for your time and effort.Best Regards, Fadi[HH] General informationBefore responding to Fadi’s question, I want to give some general information about Turkish military service. Military service in Turkey is compulsory for all male citizens between 20-41 years of age (with some exceptions such as handicapped or mentally ill and sick people). Women are only allowed to become officers by choosing a career in the military and enrolling in military schools – that is, not as conscripts. Those men who are 20 years of age but still continue higher education at a university or vocational training program are allowed to postpone their draft until they have completed these programs. The duration of basic military service varies: 15 months for privates (elementary or high school graduates), 12 months for reserve officers (university graduates), and 6 months for short-term privates (those who have earned a university degree but have not been enlisted as reserve officers).For Turkish citizens who have lived or worked abroad for at least three years, a basic military training of three weeks is offered instead of the full-term military service if they pay a certain fee in foreign currency – roughly 5,100 euros. Also in times when the General Staff assesses that the military reserve exceeds the required amount, paid military service of one month basic training is established for local citizens. After the 1999 earthquake, an exception was made and paid military service was accepted that year to help the economy using the collected money in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the cities damaged that horrible July.[HH] Let us come to the answerDear Fadi, you are now 36 years old and you will be 39 years old when you become eligible for Turkish citizenship. So, as I mentioned above, all Turkish citizens between 20 and 41 years of age have to do military service. Because of this obligation, you will be required to do military service when you accept Turkish citizenship.On the other hand, military service completed in the following countries shall be deemed acceptable in the Turkish Republic: Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France (except those born after 1979), Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy (only for those born before Jan. 1, 1985), Norway, Greece, Tunisia and Syria. If you did military service in one of these countries, you may be exempt from military service in Turkey. Countries not listed in this decree shall not be accepted by the Ministry of Defense and military service completed in these countries shall not be recognized as having been completed in Turkey.Hurriyet Daily News/09.07.2010